The Rope- walk
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Former barristers slang for an Old Bailey practice. Thus, "Gone into the rope-walk" means, he has taken up practice in the Old Bailey.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Rope- walk” mean?
Former barristers slang for an Old Bailey practice. Thus, "Gone into the rope-walk" means, he has taken up practice in the Old Bailey.
Is “The Rope- walk” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.